The World’s Most Extraordinary Luxury Cruise Ships: What’s Launching in 2026 and 2027
There are moments in travel when several exceptional things happen at once. A confluence of launches, ideas, and ambition that transforms not just what is available but what is possible.
We are in one of those moments now.
In the space of a single year, the world’s largest sailing yacht has begun its maiden voyages.
Four Seasons has launched its first ship. Explora Journeys has unveiled its most sophisticated vessel yet. And the most anticipated yacht of the decade, from Aman, is under construction for a 2027 debut. The next time you hear someone say that luxury cruising is mass or conservative, point them here.
Below is a complete guide to the new luxury ships that matter most in 2026 and 2027: what they are, what makes them extraordinary, and who they are for.
Explora III — July 2026
Line: Explora Journeys
Capacity: 922 guests across 463 oceanfront suites
What’s new: First LNG-powered ship in the Explora fleet; 19 metres longer than Explora I and II; Owner’s Residence designed by Patricia Urquiola
Explora Journeys has been one of the most compelling stories in luxury ocean travel since Explora I launched in 2023. Its model — all-oceanfront suites, 18 unreserved dining and bar venues, no dress codes, no timetables, an emphasis on slow travel and long port stays — attracted exactly the travellers who had always wanted to cruise but found traditional cruising too structured.
Explora III, which began its inaugural sailings in late July 2026 with a naming ceremony in Barcelona on 1 August, takes that model and refines it. At 268 metres and 72,810 gross tons, it is 19 metres longer than its predecessors — a length made possible by its new LNG dual-fuel engines, which also make it the first Explora vessel powered by liquefied natural gas and the brand’s most environmentally considered ship to date.
The extra length has been used wisely. Guest capacity remains the same — 922, preserving the intimate atmosphere — but public space per guest increases to 19.5 square metres.
The accommodation inventory has been rebalanced upward: Ocean Penthouses now make up 24 percent of the fleet, and Ocean Residences 9 percent, with two Owner’s Residences — one designed by the internationally celebrated architect Patricia Urquiola. The Conservatory Pool and Bar on Deck 11, built around a 48-metre pool beneath a retractable glass roof, is a new signature space. After Barcelona, Explora III sailed to Lisbon on her maiden voyage, then headed north for the Baltic and Iceland before repositioning to Miami for Caribbean itineraries in late autumn.
Who it is for
- Guests who want a European, design-led, unhurried experience at sea — the antithesis of traditional cruise culture
- Those upgrading from Explora I or II who want more space and higher-category suites
- Travellers who care about sustainability and want to sail on one of the most environmentally considered luxury ships afloat
Four Seasons I — March 2026
Line: Four Seasons Yachts
Capacity: 190 guests across 95 suites
What’s new: The first Four Seasons vessel; priced and modelled as a hotel; 1:1 guest-to-crew ratio; the 9,975 sq ft Funnel Suite is the most spectacular suite at sea
When Four Seasons I departed on its maiden voyage in March 2026, it did so with something no cruise ship had done before: it made the case that the guest who loves a great hotel might love a great ship even more, if the ship was designed with the same care.
The vessel carries 190 guests in 95 suites — all with floor-to-ceiling windows, private terraces, and more living space per guest than any comparable vessel. Fares are charged per suite (not per person), breakfast is the only included meal, and everything else is ordered à la carte from 11 dining and bar venues. It is, in short, a hotel at sea: the same pricing logic, the same service culture, the same approach to food.
The culinary programme is anchored by Sedna, a fine dining restaurant that hosts rotating master chefs from Four Seasons properties worldwide. Alongside it, Miuna offers a 16-seat omakase, Terrasse serves Mediterranean-inspired breakfast through dinner in an indoor-outdoor space with open kitchen, and Bar Piscine anchors the pool deck. On marina days, the transverse marina opens across both sides of the ship for electric hydrofoils, kayaks, and direct sea access.
The Funnel Suite — four levels within the ship’s glass-enclosed funnel, 9,975 square feet, with a private spa, splash pool, outdoor gym, and 280-degree views — is, by any measure, the most extraordinary suite currently at sea. A second yacht, Four Seasons II, has already been announced with 79 suites and a 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio.
Who it is for
- Four Seasons loyalists who want that specific quality of warmth and service translated to the water
- Guests who want a hotel experience — rather than a cruise experience — at sea
- Families and groups: the suite-per-room pricing and connecting suite configurations make it unusually flexible for larger parties
Orient Express Corinthian — May 2026
Line: Orient Express Sailing Yachts
Capacity: Up to 110 guests across 54 suites
What’s new: The world’s largest sailing yacht; SolidSail wind propulsion technology; Michelin-starred dining by Yannick Alléno; fully all-inclusive
The Orient Express Corinthian is, without question, the most visually dramatic luxury vessel of this or any recent era. At 220 metres, powered by three towering masts fitted with SolidSail technology — rigid sails capable of up to 100 percent wind propulsion in suitable conditions — it is the world’s largest sailing yacht, the most sustainable luxury ship afloat, and one of the most striking objects in the history of ocean travel.
It delivered from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire in April 2026 and began its inaugural Mediterranean sailings in May. The interiors, by Maxime d’Angeac, draw on the golden age of the great ocean liners — Normandie, the original Orient Express — reinterpreted through the finest French craftsmanship: marble, velvet, bespoke glasswork, curated artworks. The 54 suites average 70 square metres, all with panoramic sea views, high ceilings, and picture windows or private terraces. The largest, the Agatha Christie Suite, stretches across two bedrooms and nearly 1,000 square metres including terrace and private jacuzzi.
Dining is under the direction of Yannick Alléno — multi-Michelin-starred, and the Executive Chef of both the Orient Express train and the sailing yachts — across five restaurants and private dining rooms. The experience is fully all-inclusive. Itineraries include the French and Italian Rivieras, the Adriatic, the Greek Isles, and in October 2026, a 14-night transatlantic crossing devoted to wellness from Lisbon to Barbados before the Caribbean season begins. Access experiences include evenings at the Venice Film Festival, private landings on Richard Branson’s Moskito Island, and soirees at landmark private homes on the Côte d’Azur.
The sister ship, Orient Express Olympian, is under construction for 2027 delivery.
Who it is for
- Travellers who want the single most visually extraordinary vessel currently at sea
- Those drawn to French elegance, Michelin-starred food, and a fully all-inclusive experience at the absolute apex of the market
- Guests who want itineraries built around genuine access — private islands, cultural institutions, experiences money alone cannot buy
Amangati by Aman at Sea — Spring 2027
Line: Aman at Sea
Capacity: 94 guests across 47 suites
What’s new: Aman’s first-ever yacht; the largest spa in luxury yachting; the most exclusive guest ratio of any hotel-brand vessel; inaugural Mediterranean season Spring 2027
Amangati does not yet sail. But there is a strong argument that it is the most anticipated yacht in the world.
Aman has spent over 35 years creating the benchmark for ultra-luxury travel on land. Its properties — Amanjiwo, Amangiri, Amanyara, Amanpuri, and more than 30 others — are known not for spectacle but for a quality of calm and space and service that is essentially impossible to replicate. Its guests are not loyal to a brand in the conventional sense. They are loyal to a feeling.
Amangati will carry that feeling to sea. At 600 feet and 23,000 gross tons, currently under construction at the T. Mariotti shipyard in Genoa, it will accommodate just 94 guests across 47 suites — making it the most exclusive of all the hotel-brand yachts. Every suite has a private terrace, ash wood floors, travertine finishes, and the same material language that defines Aman’s land sanctuaries. No casino. No theatre. No tannoy.
The Aman Spa will be the largest in luxury yachting: a two-storey facility with a Japanese serenity garden, ocean-facing treatment rooms, and dedicated spaces for yoga, meditation, and beauty. Four dining venues, led by Akari (the Japanese signature restaurant) and the Aman Grill, will offer the same simplicity and seasonality that distinguishes Aman’s food philosophy on land. A jazz club inspired by Aman New York will provide evenings of unhurried music.
Inaugural Mediterranean itineraries for Spring and Summer 2027 are now open for reservation. On a 94-guest yacht with Aman’s following, the best suites and sailings will not wait.
Who it is for
- Aman loyalists (aka Aman Junkies) — full stop. If you know the brand, you will understand immediately why this is the yacht to be on
- Guests who want maximum privacy, space, and quiet — and for whom wellness is as important as destination
- Anyone who wants to secure an inaugural season suite on a vessel that will be spoken about for years
One More Worth Watching: Orient Express Olympian — 2027
The sister ship to the Corinthian, Orient Express Olympian, is currently under construction and due for delivery in 2027. Already floated out in April 2026, it will carry the same SolidSail technology, the same 54-suite configuration, and the same Maxime d’Angeac interiors — with refinements informed by the Corinthian’s inaugural season. With the Caribbean and Mediterranean already mapped out for the Corinthian, the Olympian is expected to open up new itinerary regions. If you missed the Corinthian’s inaugural sailings, the Olympian is your second chance at a first.
How to Secure Your Place
The hotel brands are entering the cruise era in a big way. The Corinthian’s Mediterranean sailings are underway. Four Seasons I is already at sea. Amangati’s 2027 inaugural season is open for booking now. And as preferred partners of Explora Journeys, Four Seasons Yachts, and Aman at Sea, Amala can offer benefits on your booking that are simply not available elsewhere.
More than that: we can help you choose. New ships, distinct philosophies, each with a very different answer to the question of what luxury at sea should feel like.
From what’s included on a cruise to which sailing works best for your interests, our cruise specialists exist precisely for moments like this.
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Interested in any of these ships? Speak to an Amala cruise specialist and we will find the right voyage for you.